This invention relates to winding a strip of sheet material such as a tire component on a spool which is transported to a tire building machine for building a tire. The spool may be mounted on a cart which also supports a liner shell for a liner which is interposed between the material wrapped around the wind-up shell of the spool of material.
Server systems, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,892 for storing and delivering stock material are used in the tire manufacturing process. The handling, storage and transporting of the tire components on a spool mounted on an A-frame cart has obvious convenience advantages. There are also disadvantages such as the distortion of the material during winding on the spool. This is particularly true in winding a tread, where the contours of the tread are important and may be distorted in the winding-storage process. Belts that are wound on a spool may also be distorted and the ends-per-inch count of the wires in the belt may be altered such that the stored belt does not meet specifications and must be rejected. Also because the components are wound with a liner separating the layers, it has been found that the xe2x80x9csquare wovenxe2x80x9d components may be crushed and separation from the liner becomes difficult, if not impossible. Where calendered material is wound on the spool it may be distorted and flattened at the center of the roll and may have to be cut away from the liner, wasting expensive liner material and delaying the manufacturing process. These problems are believed to be due in part to the distortion caused by undue pressure applied in the wind up and storage process. Heretofore, center driven winders have been used to wind the spool by a motor which rotates a shaft connected to the wind-up shell of the spool. Winding tension control for applying and varying the tension applied to the component being wound on the spool is important because it must be varied as the spool grows in size and diameter during wind up.
Surface winders have also been used in some cases wherein the component is wound through contact with the surface of the spool by a moving belt. With traditional surface winders the spool is supported on a driving belt and the weight of the spool distorts the material unless an adjustable support is provided to lift the spool and take the weight off the driving belt. This is not desirable because the entire weight of the spool must be carried by the adjusting means.
In another system such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,076 the roll being wound is supported on a web extending between two rotatable supporting rollers. The roll is rotated by a separate winder drum which transmits the sheet of paper or cardboard to the roll and rotates the roll.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for winding a strip of sheet material on a rotatable spool of sheet material comprising a surface winder having belt means movable into engagement with the strip of sheet material for application to the spool and for rotating the spool characterized by pressure means for moving the surface winder and the belt means toward the spool to urge the strip of sheet material against the spool, and belt drive means engageable with the belt means for delivering the strip of sheet material to the spool and rotating the spool to wind the strip of sheet material on the spool.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for winding a strip of sheet material on a rotatable spool comprising:
(a) a surface winder having belt means movable into engagement with the strip of sheet material for application to the spool and for rotating the spool characterized by:
(b) pressure means for moving the surface winder and the belt means toward the spool to urge the strip of sheet material against the spool, and belt drive means with the belt means for delivering the strip of sheet material to the spool and rotating the spool to wind the strip of sheet material on the spool.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided the apparatus of claim 1 wherein said spool is mounted on a movable frame and said surface winder is mounted at a fixed position adjacent a conveyor for supplying said strip of sheet material.